Note: I apologize for the slowness of this chapter, I'm not so good at fight scenes.




Spike lowered himself into the tunnel closest to the hotel. He looked around
twice - was someone following him? Was she? Nah, she's safe sleeping back
in his room. After taking a moment to gain his bearings he took off into the
darkness. Surely she wouldn't come after him, his mind wandered back to another time.

***
"Buffy, what are you doing here? I told you to stay with Niblet." Spike glared at Buffy
as she slipped up beside him in the dark alley.

"Dawn is safe in the car, all locked in tight." Buffy assured him as she watched the
vampires in the alley behind the Bronze. "Let's just take them and we can still
make the movie."

"I could take them alone." He grumbled.

"So could I." She argued back, "Now on the count of three...one....two... three." She whispered
as they charged the vamps taking all three out in a matter of minutes.

He watched her wipe the dust off of her jacket and look at him with a smile, "I'm hungry now, can
we get some dinner with this movie?"

He shook his head exasperated with her, "Fine, but it's Niblet's birthday she gets to choose the movie
and the dinner." He paused then raised an eyebrow, "But later, I'll let * you * choose where we......."

He was cut off by her punching his arm and rolling her eyes at him, "Come on, lets get this birthday
celebration started."
***

&&&&
He took a minute to smile to himself at the memory of that night, he, Dawn and Buffy out alone for
"date" it had been one of the most enjoyable evenings of his life. His two favorite women in the whole
world and after Dawn had gone to bed, Buffy had taken him downstairs to the basement to show off
part of the repair work to the pipes. They had ended up kissing by the third step and were half dressed by
the time they reached the last one. A sleeping bag that had not been used in years saw lots of action that
night.
&&&&

Buffy waited for only a moment before lowering herself into the tunnel, she stood
perfectly still for a moment and listened she could hear very faint footsteps - she
carefully followed them. If she strained she could barely see the outline of Spike's body
moving in front of her.

The tunnel began to lighten as several torches appeared lit on the walls. She
had to lay flat against the wall as she watched Spike look over his shoulder,
she would have to be more careful, he had always been good at sensing her.

Spike stopped short again and turned quickly catching a glimpse of familiar
blond hair. She was here, he shook his head in irritation, she was never going to learn to listen to anyone,
stubborn as a mule and could never admit when she was wrong. Couldn't imagine what he saw in her, but then he
remembered her soft breath against his back on early morning afters and even though he was aggravated with her
for following he didn't want to be harsh, "Buffy." He called out softly, "Come on luv, show yourself."

Buffy frowned when she heard his voice but knew that she had no choice but to show herself. He was going
to be pissed, but it wouldn't be the first time she had angered him and she doubted it would be the last, he
had to answer for coming alone anyway. She walked into the light, "Okay, you caught me." She tried to
lighten the mood but the look on his face told her it was too late for that.

"Why did you follow me? I was gonna take care of this and be back in the bed before you even had to worry
about it?" He told her sternly.

"You said we would do this together and then you snuck out. If we want this to work out between us, we have
to be honest about every little thing. Which means you don't take off without me." She replied defensively.

"Let's not argue about this right now. Why don't you just turn around and go back to the hotel, crawl in the
bed and keep it warm for me." He winked at her knowing full well that his charm wasn't going to work in
this instance.

"It's not going to work, Spike. Thats a great offer I admit, but I'm here and I'm going to help take these two
down. Now where are they?" She stood with her hands on her hips and a defiant look on her face.

"Summer's you know what your problem is - you never let anyone help you. It's like personal offense to you - if
you can't do it all yourself. No one can do it all themself, luv. Doesn't work that way."

"I've been doing just fine for the last ten years all by MYSELF." she told him as she turned and stomped
down the tunnel.

He stomped after her, "You say you want to work this out with us but if you don't let me in, Buffy - it's never
gonna work. You say you love me but you can only say it in private, you've said you need me but you don't want
to take my help. If you don't let me into your life completely I might as well leave again!"

"I'm trying to let you in - but if you are going to lie to me like you did tonight.....then why should I open up to you?
You said we would do this together then you went off alone - what if something had happened to you?"
Buffy stopped and stared at him, "Did you even think of how I would have felt if you had been hurt or worse?"

"I can take care of myself, pet." He replied in a low tone.

"So can I." She turned and continued down the tunnel until she reached a fork. "Which way?"
She looked over her shoulder and asked Spike.

"I'm not sure I think to the right. The directions were a little unclear because I was trying to keep an eye on
you at Willy's." He grumbled. "A lot of good that did."

She ignored the last part of his comment,
"I'll take the right and you take the left we'll meet back her in ten minutes and let each other know what's
going on in each of these tunnels. Okay?"

"Fine, ten minutes." He started towards the left tunnel. "Buffy," he called to her.

"Yes." She answered softly.

"Be careful." He replied.

She gifted him with a smile, "You too."

Buffy walked quickly down the tunnel timing herself so she could get back to Spike. She found a large
wooden door and leaned against it to listen for activity. She heard the vamp behind her too late, as she turned
around she felt the board hit the side of her head.

Spike walked down his tunnel finding absolutely nothing. His tunnel must be the dead end, he turned around
to meet Buffy. "Buffy," He called after waiting for five minutes, "Buffy are you there?" Worry gnawed at him as
he started in the direction that he had last seen Buffy take.

He soon found the large wooden door that Nastassia had described to him but no Buffy. Just a large board
lying beside it, he sniffed the air - blood, Buffy's blood was on the board. He slowly opened the large door.


Nastassia stood behind the door smirking at him. "About time you got here, Spike."

"Well, I thought it would be the sociable thing to do, drop by see the new neighbors." Spike replied cockily
surveying the situation. Nastassia and four vampires who appeared to be fledglings stood in the room.
There were no other older vamps in the room, so he decided Jarvis had not arrived yet. His heart sank
as he realized that Buffy was nowhere to be found.

"She's in the other room." Nastassia told him knowingly, as she nodded towards a tall vamp.

"I want to see her." Spike told her as she took a step closer to the redhaired vamp, "Now."

"You aren't in a position to demand anything, Spike." Nastassia snapped her fingers as vampires
surrounded Spike, "But I will allow you a look."

The tall vampire returned to the room carrying Buffy's limp form in his arms, Spike tried to go to her but was
quickly restrained by the vampires at his side. Nastassia nodded at the vampire holding Buffy and he
walked over to Spike standing close enough for him to get a good look at Buffy.

Spike winced as he saw the blood trickling from a cut above her temple and the cut above her eye from earlier was bleeding
again, he could already see the nasty bruise forming on the side of her face. Anger roared through him as his
gameface appeared and he charged Nastassia, the vamps at his side barely kept him from strangling her.

Nastassia shakily stepped back from Spike, watching as it took four minions to restrain him.
"I wouldn't come any closer, Spike." She smiled wickedly as she took Buffy from the vamp that
held her. "I hear that Slayer's blood is an excellent aphrodisiac? Is it?" She pushed Buffy's hair
away from her neck exposing her jugular vein. She ran her finger over the pulsing vein.

"Put her down Nastassia, we can come to some kind of agreement." Spike said as he looked around the room searching for an escape route.

"Oh, I'm not going to taste her, Spike. I'm saving her for Jarvis." She held Buffy tightly against her and pointed to a bench built into the wall, "You sit there,
Jarvis will be here soon. " She never let go of Buffy as she watched Spike sit. She directed two vamps to watch
Spike as she prepared Buffy for Jarvis.

"I could tie you up, Spike. But I think you know what will happen to the dear Slayer here if you try anything." She left the room, Buffy in tow.

Spike sat back against the wall as the fledglings cautiously guarded him. He had to get
Buffy out of here - think Spike, think.

&&&&
"Jarvis, will be so impressed to see that I have solved his little Slayer problem for him." Nastassia
chattered as she roughly cleaned the blood from Buffy's face and tied her hands behind
her back. "We have to get you cleaned up, dear. I want you to be a presentable gift to Jarvis."

Buffy's eyes fluttered open as she felt the rough cloth scrubbing at her face and listened to the feminine
voice in front of her. She tried to move but quickly realized her hands were tied, she opened her eyes
fully and faced Nastassia, "Spike? Where is he?" She asked her heart heavy with fear.

"Don't worry, Slayer. Spike is in the other room. Big plans for William the Bloody." Nastassia laughed
as she finished cleaning Buffy's face.

Buffy's eyes searched the room for a weapon, for anything she could use to get her out of this mess.

****

TBC